204  Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  {AmAp°ru^87arm' 
years  ago  there  was  nothing  published  in  relation  to  the  preparation  of  absor- 
bent cotton,  and  that  having  tried  several  simple  solvents  for  removing  the  oil 
from  the  cotton  without  success,  he  induced  Mr.  F.  L.  Slocumto  experiment 
in  this  direction,  who  fully  succeeded  by  repeatedly  boiling  with  a  weak  solu- 
tion of  caustic  alkali,  and  whose  results  were  then  published  in  the  American 
Journal  of  Pharmacy  (1881,  page  53).  The  commercial  absorbent  cotton, 
and  also  the  medicated  cotton,  was  stated  to  be  always  of  handsome  appear- 
ance, and  its  unentangled  condition  was  probably  due  to  carding. 
Mr.  Hance  said  that  the  preparation  of  absorbent  cotton  was  not  at  all 
difficult  if  caustic  soda  solution,  not  too  strong,  was  used  ;  this  was  afterward 
washed  away  and  the  cotton  treated  with  chlorinated  lime  to  bleach  it,  after 
which  it  was  dried  and  carded;  but  medicated  cottons  containing  remedial 
agents  either  in  pulverulent  or  finely  crystallized  form,  particularly  if  these 
were  present  in  considerable  amount,  would  be  rendered  almost  valueless 
by  carding  as  the  remedy  would  be  dusted  out.  In  such  cases  the  addition 
of  glycerin  is  deemed  advisable,  or  even  necessary,  to  keep  the  cotton  moist. 
Mr.  Procter  called  attention  to  a  plan  which  he  had  put  in  use  for  facili- 
tating the  correct  recording  of  necessary  data  upon  prescriptions  which  are 
left  to  be  sent,  or  are  to  be  called  for  after  a  lapse  of  some  time  ;  it  consists 
in  stamping  with  a  rubber  stamp  upon  the  prescription,  name,  address, 
price,  receiver,  dispenser,  and  such  other  particulars  as  may  be  deemed 
necessary,  the  blanks  being  properly  filled  out  in  writing.  Similar  memo- 
randa are  stamped  and  written  upon  the  wrapper.  This  plan  had  been 
found  very  convenient  and  saving  in  time  in  the  asking  and  answering  of 
•questions,  and  in  the  proper  attention  to  the  requests  of  customers.  The 
same  stamp  may  likewise  be  used  for  articles  other  than  prescribed  medi- 
cines, if  not  delivered  immediately. 
Mr.  Walling  spoke  of  chrysophanie  acid  as  having  been  prescribed  with  the 
express  statement  that  chrysarobin  was  not  intended ;  he  wished  to  know  if 
there  was  any  chrysophanie  acid  to  be  obtained  in  a  commercial  way  that 
differed  from  chrysarobin.  To  this  query  Professor  Maisch  replied  that  the 
name  of  chrysophanie  acid  was  introduced  in  medical  practice  through  the 
investigations  of  Goa  powder  by  Prof.  Attfield,  who  regarded  the  crystalline 
principle  obtained  with  hot  benzol  as  being  mainly  chrysophanie  acid,  but 
proposed  to  name  it  chrysarobin.  Two  German  chemists,  Liebermann  and 
Seidler,  had  subsequently  examined  it,  and  found  it  to  be  a  new  compound 
for  which  the  very  appropriate  name  chysarobin  was  retained,  and  which 
was  readily  converted  into  chrysophanie  acid,  idei-tical  with  that  obtain- 
able from  rhubarb  as  a  decomposition  product  of  the  glucoside  chrysophan. 
He  thought  that  what  was  commonly  sold  as  chrysophanie  acid  was  merely 
chrysarobin.  In  answer  to  a  question,  Mr.  J.  W.  England  stated  that  at  the 
Philadelphia  Hospital  chrysophanie  acid  was  often  prescribed  in  skin  dis- 
eases, and  it  was  suggested  that  he  examine  the  article  in  use  and  report  on 
it  at  the  next  meeting. 
Mr.  Jenks  said  that  his  experience  was  that  chrysophanie  acid  was  the 
commercial  term  always  used,  and  that  he  had  no  doubt  that  the  product 
was  chrysarobin. 
